UF potentially has a nine-man rotation with one week remaining in the regular season

Every move UF's 6-foot-10 freshman made on Feb. 4 against Missouri was cheered by fans and documented by media. Since then, Walker generally has been a non-factor during UF's run to an SEC title and rise to No. 1 in the nation.

But the 2013 McDonald's All-American finally pitched in Saturday against LSU. On the heels of a shaky performance at Vanderbilt, Walker scored his first basket in seven games and with six rebounds nearly matched his season total (seven) during the Gators' 79-61 win.

"The Vanderbilt game, just calling it like it was for him, was a tough game," UF coach Billy Donovan said Monday. "This was a better game for him against LSU. He gave us very, very good minutes.

"I'm hopeful going forward that he can continue to learn and we can utilize him more and get him into a bigger role than maybe he has been."

Walker's timing could not be any better.

With two regular-season games remaining, including Tuesday's 7 p.m. visit to South Carolina that will air on ESPNU, the Gators could be developing the depth needed to weather the postseason.

Consider:

• Freshman point guard Kasey Hill's return from a groin injury allowed SEC Player of the Year front-runner Scottie Wilbekin to rest 11 minutes. Wilbekin played all but nine minutes during the three games Hill missed.

• Sophomore forward Devon Walker has made 10 of his 18 3-pointers this season during the past six games, needing only 17 attempts.

• While he averages 25.5 minutes and has provided depth all season, sophomore forward Dorian Finney-Smith shook off a scoring slump with 35 points and seven 3s during the past two games. Finney-Smith totaled 38 points and one 3-pointer during the previous seven games.

All told, the Gators potentially have a nine-man rotation entering the season's key stretch.

"Having depth is a good thing," Donovan said. "It allows us to press. We have more depth in the backcourt. It helps you get out of foul trouble a little better.

"All of those things I think are very important and help your team when you have more numbers and bodies."

When fatigue and foul trouble are less of a concern, the Gators can play with a higher level of intensity and have a better chance to stretch leads.

After three wins by a total of 12 points, UF (27-2, 16-0 SEC) led LSU by double figures for 32 of 40 minutes.

"With the depth, I feel we can play all out and not have any empty moments on the court," senior Casey Prather said Monday.

The Gators will seek an equally relentless effort at South Carolina. The Gamecocks (11-18, 4-12) lost 74-58 in Gainesville on Jan. 8 to open SEC play and had struggled until they scored a 72-67 home win Saturday against Kentucky.

After the game, fans stormed the court to draw a $25,000 fine from the SEC. School president Harris Pastides paid willingly.

"Once I realized I was paying [the fine] anyway, I ran down … I enjoyed every dollar," he joked Monday.

If South Carolina upsets top-ranked UF, Pastides could be cutting a $50,000 check — the fine for a second court-storming offense within three seasons of the initial one.

But the Gators have won 10 straight away from the O'Connell Center and are two wins away from the first 18-0 season in SEC history. Even so, the Gators expect another close road game after wins by Ole Miss and Vanderbilt by a combined seven points.

"We knew they were a good team from the first time we played them," Prather said of South Carolina. "We don't go into games taking teams lightly. We already were kind of aware of it, whether they beat Kentucky or not."